You Can't Smell the Flowers GB

by Joanna Cole

Enhanced with games, experiments, and other activities, a hands-on, easy-to-read study of the human senses explains how sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch work.

Genres: Science, Childrens

48 pages, Hardcover

First published May 4, 1994

About the author

Joanna Cole, who also wrote under the pseudonym B. J. Barnet, was an author of children’s books who teaches science.

She is most famous as the author of The Magic School Bus series of children's books. Joanna Cole wrote over 250 books ranging from her first book Cockroach to her famous series Magic School Bus.

Cole was born in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby East Orange. She loved science as a child, and had a teacher she says was a little like Ms. Frizzle. She attended the University of Massachusetts and Indiana University before graduating from the City College of New York with a B.A. in psychology. After some graduate education courses, she spent a year as a librarian in a Brooklyn elementary school. Cole subsequently became a letters correspondent at Newsweek, and then a senior editor for Doubleday Books for Young Readers.

Reviews

[Aliyah (Barbellsnbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love challenging my preschoolers and giving them big words with simple meanings. This book really helps me to explores that.

[SaraKat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a super cute book for young readers that explains the five senses. The author uses a very simple approach with simple illustrations and does a very good job of explaining the inner workings of the senses. Every few pages is a "try this" section that gives quick little experiments that a child can do to test their senses. I was quite entertained and even learned some things. The science of senses hasn't changed much so this book is still relevant in a science class, but one thing that is dated and has been debunked is the tongue taste map, which is included in this book.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great science book with a chapter devoted to each sense. Contains rudimentary diagrams of the eye, ear, tongue, and nose along with basic scientific info about how the sense organs work. Contains some simple experiments to try for each sense (like mapping out which region of the tongue best tastes sweet, salty, sour, and bitter, for example).

[Shelby Wiley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very informational but not super exciting.

[Lynnette · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty good. would be a great read aloud or beginner-ish reader book for older kids. pictures are pretty simple, but they work.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the same author as the popular Magic School Bus series comes this easy reader about the five senses. I would recommend this book for children who like science, but may get overwhelmed by the busy nature of the illustrations in The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses. It contains much of the same information in a simplified format. It's even great as a read-aloud if you read selectively - I used it for my five senses library program today and just paper-clipped some of the extraneous pages together. Also contains simple activities children can do to test their senses.

[Carman · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read about the 5 senses that would be effortless for grades 1-3 to follow. The experiments are simple and require minimal materials to complete. I would definitely use this as an introduction to a science unit on the senses.

[Sarah Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute take on a book about your senses. I have two boys (age 6 and 4)that loved this book. There are fun experiments to do with your children throughout the book. Great for teaching young children about their senses.